Improvement in processes and apparatus for curing hides



UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

` y ADoLrnE noemen NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana.Y

fiMeRovEMEN-r iN `PriocrsssiasLAND 'APPARATUS Fou cUmNc'HmEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 112,285, dated February 28, 1871.

` To all whom it may concern.- f

Louisiana, haveinvented certain new and useo `ful Improvements in the Process and Apparal tus for Preserving and1Ctiring-Hides;` and I do hereby declare that the followingis a'full, clear, andexactV description thereof, reference being had to theiaccompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon which forma partoithisspecitication.

`The nature of my inventionV consists in a "compos`ition andVapparatus for preserving and curing hides,77 as will be hereinafter fully set forth.` i, 1 `Incl-der to enable others skilled in the art to `Whichmy invention appertains to makcand usel thcsame, Iwillnour proceed to describe my comp'ounchrandhow the same isprepared, as `Well `as the apparatus in which the same is used, referring to the annexed drawing, which represents a longitudinal vertical section of i theV apparatus. i

` My compound is prepared the following manner; To onehundredgallons ofthe crude pyroligneous acid l add'one gallon-of `concen trated glycerine.

Theobject of this is', thenction of light separates from the pyroligneous acid some tarry,"resinous matter, partv of this adheringto the` bottom and sides ofthe ves- 'sel containing the acid, and some parts iioat-` ing on the surface, and when diluting the acid 1 with Water the dilution accelerates the precipitation of these resinous parts, and thus kdoubly weakens itspreservative qualities, while' the presence of glycerineV keeps them in solu' tion. For one hundred and onev gallons "of this mixture I add about oue..and`o ue7half pound of commercial.crystallized carbolicacid, which acts to preventthehides from` getting mildewedwhen packed or transported while My compound isfthus composed ofthe following ingredients: `Onehundred' gallons pyroligneous acid, ,onegallon conceetratcd glycerine, i one andonehalf toftwo and one-halt' pounds crystallized y carbolic acid, and onehundred gallons ot' Water. u I do not confine myse1i', how ever,- tothese proportions, as they may perhaps be varied.V For. instance, the proportion ot' glycerine may be increased 'to four or tive gallons, although, in practice, Ihave found one gallon suiicient 4for lall necessary purposes. rlhe 'greater amount of glycerine the morepliable `will be theA hide. A

The hides, when preserved for tanning purf poses, will be sufficiently cured after fifteen orv twenty minutes immersion in the above liquid or com-pound. They will be pliable,`so as to be easily `packed into bundles, rolls, &c., haveno offensive smell, and will not get moldy or sour. For all those vpurposes for which a raw-hide is employed, the one prepared by my process will bemuchV preferable for the above reason-s.

The hides may be rendered more or less pli able by alonger 'or shorter duration of the im mersion. In tanning a hide prepared with this compound it will take less tannin to render ity as good vas those salted or dried in the usual manner. If pyroligneousacidalone was used, the hides would become hard and horny, with resinous matters adhering to them; would, af-

ter an exposure to the air, turn black and altogether unfit for tanning' L., also, the liquid itself would soon become exhausted, so that, practically, it would be clearer than salting.

The apparatus I employ is constructed in the following manner: A represents a tank or vessel of any suitable dimensions, or a cistern, in the center of which is an upright shaft, B, C is a piston-head, provided in the center with a tube, D, large enough to allori7 the shaft B to pass through the same. On the upper side of the'piston U a number of hooks, a a, on which the hides are fastened. Two ropes, b b, pass through the two pulleys d d, above the cistern, said ropes being so arranged that, by means of one of them, the piston, with the hides attached, is drawn down,immersing the hides in the liquid or compound above described, while with the other rope they are drawn up again. Also, by means of these ropes, the piston may be worked up and down to stir the f liquid; or, a pitman may be attached to the tube or sleeve D ofthe piston, and to a crank `or an eccentric, to perform the same service.

All the metallic parts of theapparatus must be made of brass, copper, or well-galvanized iron, as the acid, coming in contact with ungalvanized iron, Would corrode the same, and the peroxydeand protoxide of iron thus formed would blaoken the hides. When the hides are l. The Within-described compound or liquid,y

composed of the ingredients substantially :is set forth.

2. The method herein described 'of preserving and curing hides by menus of innnersing the sinne in a liquid composed of pyroligneous acid, glyeerine, crystallized curbolie acid, und wat r, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The piston C, with sleeve D' und hooks (L ai, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The combination of the eistern A, shaft B, piston C, sleeve D, hooks a u, pini-.form E, rollers G G', and a suitable ineelnlnisin for raising and lowering` the piston7 substantially us und for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony tlnlt- I claim the foregoing as my own l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NVitnesses: ADOLPHE ROCK.

T. H. ALEXANDER, J. V.-WH1TE. 

